It will all be worth it.

Yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind. We went Christmas shopping in the morning and blew our whole huge wad of gift cards that I ordered from airmiles on the kids and hubby's Christmas gifts. We got some great deals and didn't spend a dime!
We then picked up the kids and took them for haircuts, then to Costco for hot dogs and groceries and then to Mexx to outfit The Boy for his Christmas banquet. He bought his first tie and I must say he looked so handsome in his charcoal, fine wale chords, deep plum button-up, charcoal sweater vest and grey/plum tie. He actually has pretty good taste for a 14 year old and he looked terrific. So grown-up though.
We raced home for him to shower and then dropped him and his buddy off. I mentioned to Brent that I was so surprised at how he looked in his tie. I expected him to look like a kid wearing Daddy's tie, like his buddy who is a few months younger. But he didn't. He looked like a young man, comfortable in his own skin and his clothes.
In the midst of this getting ready last night, and putting the groceries away, we discovered that the deep freeze in the basement had been accidentally unplugged. We have a whole side of beef in there that we bought from my friends parents when they butchered a few this spring. Hundreds of dollars worth of meat. It had evidently been a few days, long enough for at least half of the meat to be mostly defrosted. Thankfully very little was actually spoiled. But we have been cooking beef and other meat for hours and hours. Must have done up 10 lbs of hamburger last night. Trays of meatballs are now cooked and in the freezer. We threw 2 roasts in the oven and now those are cut and frozen again. Another roast is in the slow cooker. Hubby has been cutting up steaks all day and sauteing them for future fajitas and stews.
I am even more thankful that hubby has this time off, because I would not have handled that emergency well myself. I hate meat, especially beef and pork! Well, I don't mind eating beef occasionally, but I hate handling it. I am a big baby!
My house just reeks of cooking meat, but at least it isn't the smell of rotting meat.

This morning my hubby tried out my new Christmas present, also from airmiles. My espresso maker. He made me up a vanilla latte and I had that with a croissant and mandarin orange for breakfast. So decadent!
Tonight we are gonna do up cappuccinos with baileys, so yummy, our reward for putting in a long day. We will do some hot chocolates for the kids and maybe decorate the tree. Hubby's idea, I usually do it about the 21st! In the mean time, more cleaning and cooking for us.